Ultrahigh-frequency television antenna



March 12, 1968 w. E. BRENEMAN 3,373,432-

ULTRAHIGH-FREQU-ENCY TELEVISION ANTENNA 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1965 Arronwev March 12, 1968 w. E. BRENEMAN 3,373,432 ULTRAHIGH-FREQUENCY TELEVISION ANTENNA Filed June 10, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR. #141. me i. fikA/EMA/V March 12, 1968 w. E. BRENEMAN 3,373,432

I. I ULTRAHIGH-FREQUENCY TELEVISION ANTENNA' Filed June 10, 19 65 s Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,373,432 ULTRAHIGH-FREQUENCY TELEVISION ANTENNA Walter E. Breneman, 579 W. College Ave., York, Pa. 17404 Filed June 10, 1965, Ser. No. 462,896 17 Claims. (Cl. 343808) This invention pertains to improvements in a television antenna and more particularly to such an antenna to be employed for receiving UHF or ultrahigh-frequency signals by means of dipoles commonly referred to as bow ties which are associated with a reflector. Antennas of this type presently employed especially for receiving ultrahigh-frequency signals are of the preassembled type.

Antennas presently used for ultrahigh frequency signals, utilize various types of insulating means to maintain the dipoles out of electrical contact with each other or the supporting structure, such as a conventional metallic pole and the brackets connected thereto which normally are formed of metal. The insulating means most commonly employed at present comprise a relatively small block or piece of a sheet of synthetic resin, commonly referred to as plastics, and having satisfactory dielectric properties. However, even in dry weather, a noticeable loss of signal will occur across such insulating supports, particularly if any appreciable amount of dirt from the atmosphere has accumulated thereon. In inclement weather and particularly snowy and icy weather, a very substantial loss of signal will occur due to leakage across the plastics insulating member between adjacent portions of the receiving dipole members supported thereby.

Another area in conventional antennas of this type in Which dissatisfaction occurs is in the reflector means which commonly are formed from metallic grids of different kinds, somewhat resembling a grid for an oven shelf or rack. One very popular type of antenna cornprises a pair of grid portions disposed at approximately 90 to each other and usually connected to the supporting pole adjacent the apex of such reflector, while the dipoles are mounted within the trough formed by the two angularly related portions of the reflector. When only two grid portions of this type are used in a reflector, a relatively limited amount of interceptionand deflection of signals toward the dipoles is possible.

One further area in which currently used antennas of this type comprise somewhat awkward and unsatisfactory elements is the connecting means, including brackets, by which the reflector and dipoles are connected to supporting poles. Many such connecting means include U-bolts of fixed curvature and associated clamping members designed primarily to accommodate a pole of a fixed diameter, whereby restriction in sizes of antenna poles results from the use of such clamping members. In regard to the brackets now used, many of them are complex and diflicult to assemble, particularly when it is considered that assembly and mounting of TV antennas frequently is awkward and precarious, as well as dangerous, and a complication of such operations frequently occurs due to the presently available awkward and difficult type brackets and connecting means employed.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a TV antenna construction primarily designed to receive UHF signals and in which improved insulating means of relatively simple and inexpensive design are employed between the dipoles of the antenna and the bracket means by which they are supported, said insulating means comprising part of the supporting structure.

Another significant object of the present invention is to provide improved reflector means comprising in the preferred form thereof a substantially planar central grid portion having Wings connected to the opposite edges thereof at an obtuse angle to said central portion, whereby greatly improved interception and deflection of signals toward the dipoles is achieved.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved supporting and connecting means comprising several embodiments of brackets generally utilizing the same basic principles and so designed that conventional hose clamps or standoifs can be utilized to connect said brackets to cylindrical, or approximately cylindrical, antenna poles of substantially any diameter Within reasonable limits, said bracket also enabling the reflector and dipole supporting means to be connected simultaneously together by limited numbers of screws or the like and including positioning means which automatically position and secure the various related parts of the antenna assembly in desired operative position with respect to each other.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a particular, preferred design of combination insulating and support member to which the receiving dipoles are connected and accurately positioned with respect to each other and said support member and reflector, and said member also providing circuitous paths along which any short-circuiting or signal minimizing currents must travel in an attempt to cause any appreciable loss of signal between the dipole members, regardless of whether dry weather or inclement weather prevails.

Other further objectives of this invention are to make available specially designed parts of an antenna of the class described that can be used even by a layman to construct several highly efficient configurations of UHF antennas without any special tools or special knowledge of such antennas, and also to render the antenna directional by means of a reflector for use with a rotator to receive stations from different directions, or the antenna can be assembled without the reflector for the reception of stations in different directions without a rotator. Although the reflector provides a higher signal gain, directivity and a better match to the normally used 300 ohm twin lead, satisfactory results can often be obtained without it, thereby saving the cost of installation of a rotator.

Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention, as well as other objects thereof, are set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprising a part thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one arrangement of a TV antenna embodying the principles of the present invention, the same being shown connected to the upper fragmentary portion of an antenna pole.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of F.[G.='1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 3 but eliminating the reflector means and showing only part of the dipoles.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary elongated supporting bracket employed in the assembly shown in the preceding figures.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary spacing bracket employed in the assembly shown in FIGS. 1-4.

FIGS. 7 and 8 respectively are plan and front elevational views of an exemplary insulating spacing support of the preferred type employed in the assemblies shown in FIGS. 14.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an exemplary receiving dipole of the type intended to be supported by the insulating spacing support shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 10 is a clamping member of cap used to secure a reflector to certain bracket arrangements shown in subsequent figures.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a spacing strip used in mounting a stack of dipole assemblies with respect to a larger reflector than shown in the preceding figures.

FIGS. 12 and 13 respectively are front and side elevations of an antenna assembly in which two pairs of stacked dipoles are employed with respect to a single reflector member.

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of an assembly similar to that shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 wherein the pole of said figures is an assembly pole of limited length and the 'entire assembly is attached to still another supporting pole shown in phantom.

FIGS. 15 and 16 respectively are front and side elevations of a more extensive stack of dipole groups of receiving elements than in FIGS. 12 and 13 and associated with an appropriate reflector grid.

FIG. 17 is a side elevation of an additional detail of supporting structure including an exemplary stand-off and clamping member pertaining particularly to supporting the lead-in transmission line.

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary detail showing the interengagement of a stacking conductor rod and the supported end of a receiving dipole.

The simplest general arrangement of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 14. In accordance with the preferred construction of the invention, a grid-like reflector 10 is provided that preferably is made of wire mesh material having a rectangular pattern. If the elements which comprise the entire antenna are sold in kit form for assembly by the purchaser, the reflector 10 may be sold, flat, whereby it is somewhat universal in that it is capable of being bent, quite easily, into several different shapes, one of which is especially suited to serve as a single bay antenna having an intermediate planar portion 12 which, in operation, preferably is disposed vertically and parallel to a supporting pole 14. The opposite edges of the reflector 10 are bent relative to the intermediate portion 12 to provide wings or portions 16 and 18 which preferably are disposed at an obtuse or dihedral angle with respect to the intermediate portion 12, the apexes of said angles being parallel to the short sides of the sheet from which the reflector is formed, and are transverse to supporting pole 14. Such an arrangement of angularly related portions of said reflector has been found to be far more effective for intercepting and deflecting signals to the receiving dipoles 20 and 22, details of which are decribed hereinafter. Another shape into which the reflector 10 may be bent is described hereinafter.

The grid-like reflector 10 may be formed from any appropriate type of metallic mesh material such as certain forms of fencing made from suitable gauge steel wire and preferably coated to prevent rusting. The various connected portions thereof are sufficiently rigid to withstand deformation by wind or other climatic conditions. To effectively secure the reflector to the pole 14, the present invention includes the use of an elongated supporting bracket 24 which preferably is made from strip metal of appropriate gauge and width, aluminum or galvanized strap iron being highly suitable for this purpose. The bracket 24, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, preferably has a flat U-shape, the opposite terminal ends 26 thereof being bent outwardly so as to extend in opposite directions and are concave as clearly shown in FIG. for purposes of being relatively complementary to the exterior of pole 14 for attachment thereto, preferably through the medium of simple, flexible hose clamps 28. By such an arrangement, the bracket 24 may be secured to any suitable diameter of pole 14, within reasonable limits, such attachment being firm and durable.

One of the principal purposes of the present invention is to render the attaching and supporting means for the components of the antenna as simple as possible yet rugged and easy to assemble. To this end, the supporting means also include a spacing bracket 30 which, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, has a central portion 32 laterally offset forwardly from the opposite ends 34. The bracket 30 may be formed from material similar to that from which the supporting bracket 24 is formed, if desired, which also minimizes the inventory of types of raw stock. The central portion 32 is provided preferably with a single screw-receiving hole 36 and the ends 34 are also each provided with a screw-receiving hole 38, the same being spaced apart longitudinally the same distance as a cooperating pair of holes 40 which are formed near the ends in the central or bight portion of bracket 24. The intermediate portion 12 of reflector 10, which is sandwiched between said brackets, is firmly secured thereto solely by a single pair of bolts 41 which extend through said aligned holes and grid openings in reflector 10.

The receiving dipoles 20 and 22, a single pair of which are commonly referred to as a bow-tie, for a one bay antenna, are each preferably formed from suitable gauge steel wire appropriately coated or otherwise formed from rust-resistant metal, such as aluminum, to render the same non-corrosive from weather conditions. The wire is of suitable gauge to render the dipoles relatively rigid over long periods of use. Said dipoles preferably are V-shaped and the apex thereof, as best shown in FIG. 9, is shaped to form a partial loop 42. The length of each leg of the dipoles is between 1 and 1.3 times a quarter wavelength of the lowest UHF frequency desired to be received. A pair of said dipoles is arranged to be supported by another essential feature of the present invention comprising an insulating spacing support 44 which preferably is formed from an appropriate synthetic resin, commonly referred to as plastics, and capable of sustaining weather conditions of all types.

The support 44 preferably is suitably formed inexpensively, such as by molding. As will be seen especially from FIGS. 4 and 7, said support preferably is C-shaped and is generally rectangular in plan view. To render the same highly efficient for insulating purposes, the legs 46 of the support are nearly as long as the bight portion 48. The ends 50 also extend toward each other but the terminal extremities are nevertheless spaced appreciably so as to minimize the possibility of short-circuiting across the ends even by such climatic substances as snow or sleet, especially since the suppolt is positioned horizontally in use. The shape of said support 44 has been selected to provide a relatively circuitous path to reduce any signal loss across said ends as much as possible, as well as otherwise providing a rigid support for the dipoles connected thereto.

To facilitate the connection and positioning of the apex portion 42 of the dipoles 20 and 22 with respect to the outer surfaces of the ends 50 of support 44, the outer surfaces 52 preferably are formed with an A- shaped groove 54, as shown best in FIG. 8, which is complementary to the apex end portion of the dipoles 20 and 22, the depth of said grooves preferably being approximately half the diameter of the wire from which the dipoles are formed. Further, merging with the innermost portions of the grooves 52 are transverse slots 56 which are formed more deeply in ends 50 than grooves 52 and are provided for purposes of receiving stacking wires or rods 58, shown to advantage in FIG. 18 in exemplary manner, the purpose of which is described hereinafter.

In the antenna arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, which is a single bay antenna, the curved apex ends 42 of the dipoles 20 and 22 are disposed within the A-shaped grooves 54. Then, a metal washer 60 is placed against the end 42 of each dipole and each dipole is securely anchored by a conventional flat nut which is screwed UJPOII a bolt 64 that extends through a suitable hole 66 formed in each of the inturned ends 50 of the support 44 to finmly clamp the dipoles thereof. Wing nuts 61 then are threaded onto the terminal ends of the bolts 64 to secure a conventional twin lead 62 to the dipoles.

Hence, it will be seen that a single bolt or screw is adequate to firmly secure the dipoles 20 and 22 to the insulating support 44 and also clamp the lead-in cable 62 to the dipoles. The reception of the apex end 42 of the dipoles within the complementarily shaped grooves 54 serves to prevent movement of any kind between the dipoles and the support 44 after the washer at has been secured in place by the above-described flat nut which is screwed against it.

The bight portion 48 of the insulated support 44 also preferably is provided with a shallow recess 68 which preferably is closely complementary to the width of the central portion 32 of spacing bracket 34) and deeper than the thickness of said bracket, whereby when a single bolt 72 is inserted through the hole 70 in the bight portion 48 and the hole 36 in bracket 30, the insulating support 44 is firmly secured thereto by simple but effective means, quickly and firmly assembled and in such manner as to prevent movement of any kind between support 44 and bracket 30. The circuitous shape of support 44 is well suited to reduce possible short-circuiting between dipoles 20 and 22 to a minimum.

The lateral offset of the central portion 32 of bracket 30 with respect to the ends 34 thereof, in conjunction with the length of the insulating support 44 when extending laterally as shown in FIG. 2, preferably is such as to space the dipoles 20 and 22 from reflector a distance which will afford the best impedance match for a 300 ohm line which is connected to said dipoles. It has been found, for example, but is not intended as a limitation, that said distance should be approximately 4 /2 inches for multiple bay and about 4 inches for single bay antennas.

Where reception of greater gain is desired than that afforded by the antenna arrangement shown in FIGS. 1-4, for example, a more powerful antenna may be employed which embodies the principles of the present invention and comprises a plurality of pairs of dipoles and 22 to form, for example, a two bay antenna. One such exemplary arrangement of more powerful antenna is illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13. The reflector 74 thus is the same as reflector 10 but is shaped differently in that the same opposite edges of the initially flat sheet of grid-like mesh are bent relative to the central portion as in the preceding embodiment but the wings 76 are narrower than wings 16 and 18 shown in FIGS. l3 and the apexes of the obtuse angles extend vertically and parallel to the supporting pole 14. In both embodiments the bends are made in the short wires of the rectangular grid pattern of the reflector to facilitate such bending.

As best seen especially from FIG. 13, the supporting brackets in this arrangement comprise a pair of the elongated supporting brackets 24 described in the preceding embodiment, the same being disposed along op- 'posite sides of the supporting pole 14. They are clamped relative to each other as well as to the pole 14 by means of a pair of hose clamps 28 which also are preferably the same type as employed in the preceding embodiment. Two pairs of the dipoles respectively are supported respectively by upper and lower insulating spacing supports 44 to form a two bay antenna, the dipoles being secured thereto by the same means as described above relative to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4.

In addition to the upper and lower insulating supports 44 however, a third insulating support 44 is mounted intermediately of the first two and the bight portion thereof is secured to one of the supporting brackets 24 by a bolt 72 which extends through a central hole 78 in bracket 24 as shown in FIG. 5. The purpose of the intermediate insulating support 44 is to hold the midportions of a pair of stacking wires or rods 58 in operative position for connection of the terminal end of twin lead cable 62a thereto. The upper and lower ends of wires or rods 58 respectively are connected electrically to the upper and lower pairs of dipoles 20 and 22 as clearly shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Such stacking wires or rods 58 are disposed in the transverse slots 56 of the ends 52 of the supports 44, such slots being of slightly less depth below grooves 54 than the diameter of wires or rods 58. Thus, when the loops 42 of the dipoles are placed against wires 5'8 and the washers 60 and flat nuts are affixed against the same, the dipoles and wires 58 will be firmly supported and electrically connected.

In FIGS. 13 and 14 particularly, it will be seen that the reflector 74 has the median portion thereof firmly secured to the bracket 24 which is opposite the bracket 24 to which the insulating supports 44 are connected. To effectively clamp the central, planar portion of reflector 74 against the flat, bight portion of said supporting bracket 24, either a relatively short clamping bar or strip may be disposed thereagainst and clamped thereto by bolts 41 or preferably, a pair of clamping caps 79, shown in FIG. 10 in detail, and formed from the same type of material as the brackets 24, are clamped against the reflector by bolts 41 passing through holes 86 in caps 79. The opposite edges of caps 79 have bent flanges 81 which engage around an adjacent pair of wires of the reflector grid 76 and firmly clamp the same against the bracket 24 and thereby firmly secures the reflector 74 in operative position with respect to the pole 14 and the stacked arrangement of dipoles supported in spaced relationship to said reflector. The spacing of the dipoles is in accordance with the impedance of the line connected thereto, as described above with respect to the aforementioned embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and a lead-in cable 62a has its terminal ends clamped to the stacking wires 58 by the wing nuts on bolts 64.

The arrangement shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 also has the advantage that it may be assembled in a shop or on the site of installation but under comfortable circumstances while not being required to juggle numerous parts and assemble them from the upper end of a ladder for example. After such assembly has taken place, particularly in regard to a pole 14 of limited length, such as substantially the vertical dimension of the reflector 74, said pre-assembled antenna structure may be attached to a main supporting antenna pole 14' shown in phantom in FIG. 14, by means of several additional hose clamps 28, also shown in phantom in FIG. 14. By employing such technique, the mounting of the antenna assembly shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 with respect to a main supporting pole 14' may be readily accomplished quickly and simply.

An antenna assembly of still greater gain than that shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 12-14 is shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, wherein the antenna assembly comprises a four bay type having a reflector 82 which is similar in general shape, except for vertical dimension, to the reflector 74 illustrated in FIGS. 1214 and, if desired, may comprise two of the reflectors 74 positioned in vertical end-to-end arrangement. The length of the reflector 82 is such as to be capable of serving, for example, a stack of four bow ties comprising pairs of dipoles 20 and 22. Also, the supporting bracket arrangement of the elongated brackets 24 as employed in the embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 13 is carried forward in the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and 16, simply by using two pairs of such brackets and securing said pairs thereof in suitably spaced relationship along the supporting pole 14 by hose clamps 28, as in the preceding embodiments.

In contrast with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12- 14, the arrangement shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 includes several additional elements comprising elongated spacing strips 84 of the type shown in FIG. 11. These strips respectively extend between the right-hand and left-hand vertical pairs of supporting brackets 24 as shown in FIG. 16. In assembling the antenna arrangement shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the pair of left-hand brackets 24, as viewed in FIG. 16, are first connected in vertically spaced relationship by one of the spacing strips 84 through the employment of bolts or screws 86 which extend through the endmost holes 88 in said strip, there preferably being a total of five such holes as is seen from FIG. 11. The outermost holes 40 in brackets 24 and the intermediate holes between the endmost ones receive bolts or screws 72 by which the five insulating supports 44- are all firmly connected to the supporting brackets 24 and the aforementioned spacing strip 84 for purposes of forming a sub-assembly of dipoles and brackets for appropriate attachment to one side of the pole 14. Recesses 68 in supports 44 are deep enough to accommodate the overlapping brackets 24 and spacing strip 84 and thereby prevent twisting of supports 44 relative thereto.

The sub-assembly of dipoles described immediately above is completed by connecting appropriate relatively stiff stacking wires or rods 58, as seen from FIG. 15, between the uppermost two pairs of dipoles. These rods cross over each other in spaced manner between said pairs of dipoles and continue downward for connection between the lowermost two pairs of dipoles and again crossing each other between said lower pairs of dipoles, in similarly spaced manner. To minimize possible short circuiting and corresponding loss of signal reception, one of said stacking wires or rods, adjacent the crossover locations, may be provided with a tubular insulating sleeve 90. Also, the central insulating support 44 in the vertical stack thereof supports the straight intermediate portions of the stacking wires or rods and affords means to connect a twin lead 91 thereto, similar to the manner in which the central insulating support 44 is employed to connect twin lead 62a to stacking wires 58.

To complete the assembly of the antenna arrangement shown in FIGS. and 16, in addition to forming the subassembly of dipoles as described hereinabove, it also is necessary to form a sub-assembly comprising the reflector 82 and its pair of vertically disposed supporting brackets 24 which are connected together by one of said elongated spacing strips 84 as referred to above. Preferably, the spacing strip 84 is mounted against the outer surfaces of the brackets 24 by securing the ends of strip 84 to the center holes of the bight portions of the brackets 24 by bolts 86. The reflector 82 then is placed against the outer surface of strip 84 and is secured thereto by a plurality of clamping caps 79 attached against the same by bolts 86' which extend through the holes 40 of bracket 24.

This arrangement provides a firm means for supporting and operatively positioning the reflector 82 with respect to the pole 14 and also the four bay dipole assembly described above after both of said sub-assemblies are clamped to the pole 14 quickly and firmly such as by the use of hose clamps 28, as clearly shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. Also as in the two bay dipole embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the pairs of dipoles are spaced from the reflector 82 a suitable distance to provide the best impedance match to the exemplary 300 ohm lead-in line or cable 91 which is connected to the dipoles by being connected to the stacking wires or rods 58 intermediately of the ends thereof, such as by being connected to the bolts and wing nuts on the central support 44 as seen in FIG. 16.

An additional convenient expedient is illustrated in FIG. 17, wherein, solely for exemplary purposes, the antenna arrangement such as illustrated in FIGS. l-4 is shown. It is to be understood that the expedient shown in FIG. 17 may be employed with equal facility in the other embodiments illustrated on sheets 2 and 3. This expedient comprises the employment of a conventional standoff 92 of the type commonly used for supporting lead-in wires or conductors 96 in usual TV antenna installations and normally provided with a clamping band 94 which surrounds the antenna pole 14. As shown in FIG. 17, the standoff 92 is secured to the pole 14 by being connected to such band 94 which is substituted for the lowermost hose clamp 28 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, l2, 13, 15 and 16 and by which the lowermost concaved end 26 of the brackets 24 are secured to the pole. Such bands 94 are arranged to receive the threaded end of the standoff post instead of the usual clamping screw to effect clamping of the band to pole 14 and the opposite end of the standoff is provided with an insulating grommet in accordance with conventional structure, the lead-in cable or conductor extending through said grommet. The outer end of the standoff projects outwardly beyond the wings and central portions of the reflectors adequately to prevent the lead-in cables from engaging any portions of the reflectors. One or more additional lower standoifs 92 similarly may be connected to the pole 14 by additional clamping bands 94, when needed. The upper terminal end of the lead-in cable is connected suitably to the dipoles of a single bay antenna or midway of the stacking wires or rods 58 of the plural-bay antennas by bolts 64 and the wing nuts therefor.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in its several preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in other ways falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A television receiver antenna comprising in combination, an elongated supporting bracket having means on the ends attachable to a supporting pole, a reflector grid having a planar central portion and integral opposite end wing portions disposed at obtuse angles to said central portion, a spacing bracket having opposite ends spaced laterally from the plane of the central portion thereof, connecting means engaging said opposite ends of said spacing bracket and said supporting bracket with the central portion of said reflector grid sandwiched therebetween and the central portion of said spacing bracket extending outward from said reflector grid, a pair of V-shaped receiving dipoles, a spacing support of insulating material connected to said central portion of said spacing bracket and projecting outwardly therefrom, and means connecting the apex portions of said dipoles to said spacing support to support said dipoles a predetermined distance forwardly from said reflector grid and parallel to the central portion thereof.

2. The antenna according to claim 1 in which said insulating spacing support has a pair of arms projecting forwardly from said spacing bracket and said dipoles are connected to the outer ends thereof.

3. The antenna according to claim 2 in which said insulating spacing support is substantially C-shaped and the outer ends thereof extend toward each other and are parallel to said central portion of said reflector, said dipoles being connected to the outer surfaces of said extended ends of said insulating spacing support.

4. The antenna according to claim 3 in which said outer surfaces of said ends of said insulating spacing support are parallel to the central portion of said reflector and having recesses therein complementary to the portions of said dipoles connected thereto and receiving said portions to maintain said dipoles oriented in operative position relative to said reflector.

5. The antenna according to claim 3 in which said spacing bracket is formed from strip material and the intermediate portion of said C-shaped insulating spacing support is provided with a recess complementary to the portion of said spacing bracket connected thereto to receive the same complementarily and thereby position the same against relative movement.

6. The antenna according to claim 1 in which said elongated supporting bracket is formed from strip-metal formed into a flat U-shape and the outer ends projecting away from each other and being bent into similar concavities substantially complementary to a supporting pole for attachment thereto by conventional flexible clamping bands.

7. The antenna according to claim 6 in which said ends of said spacing bracket have holes therein and said elongated supporting bracket has similar holes aligned therewith, a bolt extending through each pair of aligned holes and reflector sandwiched therebetween to secure said brackets and reflector firmly together as a unit for attachment to a pole by hose clamps extending around the projecting ends of said elongated supporting bracket.

8. The antenna according to claim 1 in which said reflector grid is formed from a flat rectangular sheet bent along lines parallel to the shorter edges thereof and spaced evenly inward from said edges to form said wing portions dispose-d at obtuse angles to said central portion, the ape-xes of said angles extending substantially horizontally.

9. The antenna according to claim 8 in which said lines of bend are spaced a substantial distance inward from said shorter sides to form wing portions of appreciable width for use as a one bay antenna having a single pair of dipoles mounted forwardly of said central portion and having the axes thereof parallel to the apexes of said obtuse angles.

10. The antenna according to claim 8 in which the grid of the reflector has a rectangular pattern and the bends in the flat sheet are made in the short wires of the grid to facilitate bending the wings evenly and uniformly.

11. A television receiver antenna comprising in combination, a substantially planar reflector grid, a cylindrical pole of limited length, a plurality of supporting brackets formed from strip metal and having a flat U-shape, the outer ends of said brackets being bent to extend away from each other and also being concaved complementarily to said pole for attachment thereto, hose clamps attaching a longitudinally spaced series of said supporting brackets to opposite sides of said pole, means attaching a medial portion of said reflector grid to one of said series of brackets, a plurality of C-shaped insulating spacing supports positioned in longitudinally spaced arrangement along the other series of brackets and having the bight portions thereof connected by a bolt to said brackets, said spacing supports extending transversely across said brackets and projecting therefrom away from said pole, and a pair of V-shaped receiving dipoles connected at the apex of each respectively to the outer ends of each of said insulating supports and extending away from each other and parallel to said reflector grid, sai-d one series of brackets being arranged for connection to a conventional antenna pole by hose clamps extended around certain of said brackets and said conventional pole.

12. The antenna according to claim 11 further including a spacing strip fastened to and extending along and between the intermediate bight portions of said brackets to which said reflector is connected and engaging the opposite surface of said reflector to clamp the same between said brackets and strip and brace the assembly for connection to said conventional pole.

13. The antenna according to claim 12 further including an additional spacing strip fastened to and extending along and between the bight portions of said series of brackets to which said insulating supports are connected and supporting at least one additional insulating support for attachment of a transmission line thereto for support thereby, and stacking conductors extending between and connected to the outer ends of said insulating supports in contact with said dipoles.

14. An insulating support for use with a television receiver antenna to support a receiving dipole relative to a supporting metallic bracket and comprising a C-shaped body formed from insulating material and having a screwreceiving hole transversely through the bight portion thereof and parallel to the plane of said body for connection to a bracket and the ends of said body extending toward each other to provide outer attaching surfaces transverse to the plane of said body, and said outer ends having screw-receiving holes therethrough perpendicular to said outer surfaces for connection thereto of the apexes of V-shaped receiving dipoles.

15. The insulating support according to claim 14 in which the opposite legs of said bracket are substantially as long as the bight portion and the support is substantially rectangular, said hole in the bight portion being substantially intermediately of the ends thereof and the outer surface of said bight portion opposite said legs having a fiat shallow recess therein to receive in close complementary manner a flat bracket to prevent relative movement therebetween of any kind when secured by a screw extending through said hole.

16. The insulating support according to claim 14 in which said outer surfaces of said ends are formed with recesses complementary to the apex ends of receiving dipoles for reception thereof to insure correct positioning and maintain a pair of oppositely extending dipoles in operative position relative to each other.

17. The insulating support according to claim 16 in which said recesses extend around said screw holes in said ends of said legs of said support and also include channels extending into said outer surfaces a greater depth than said recesses and positioned immediately adjacent said screw holes to receive stacking connectors and hold the same in electrical engagement with dipoles when received within said recesses and channels, said channels extending transversely to the plane of the body of said support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,661,423 12/ 1953 Middlemark 343-808 X 2,869,125 1/1959 Bouchard 343-808 3,123,826 3/1964 Durham 343-835 X 3,299,429 1/ 1967 McMullin 343-890 X ELI LIEBERMAN, Primary Examiner. HERMAN SAALBACH, Examiner. 

1. A TELEVISION RECEIVER ANTENNA COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED SUPPORTING BRACKET HAVING MEANS ON THE ENDS ATTACHABLE TO A SUPPORTING POLE, A REFLECTOR GRID HAVING A PLANAR CENTRAL PORTION AND INTEGRAL OPPOSITE END WING PORTIONS DISPOSED AT OBTUSE ANGLES TO SAID CENTRAL PORTION, A SPACING BRACKET HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS SPACED LATERALLY FROM THE PLANE OF THE CENTRAL PORTION THEREOF, CONNECTING MEANS ENGAGING SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SPACING BRACKET AND SAID SUPPORTING BRACKET WITH THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID REFLECTOR GRID SANDWICHED THEREBETWEEN AND THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID SPACING BRACKET EXTENDING OUTWARD FROM SAID REFLECTOR GRID, A PAIR OF V-SHAPED RECEIVING DIPOLES, A SPACING SUPPORTG OF INSULATING MATERIAL CONNECTED TO SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID SPACING BRACKET AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, AND MEANS CONNECTING THE APEX PORTIONS OF SAID DIPOLES TO SAID SPACING SUPPORT TO SUPPORT SAID DIPOLES A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FORWARDLY FROM SAID REFLECTOR GRID AND PARALLEL TO THE CENTRAL PORTION THEREOF. 